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Reprieve on illegal structures
Evelene
Taadira, The Herald
November 12, 2013
http://www.herald.co.zw/reprieve-on-illegal-structures/
Harare City
Council has given residents a two-month reprieve to negotiate with
council the way forward regarding their illegal structures before
demolition begins. Council recently
said it would demolish all illegal structures as part of efforts
to restore the city’s sunshine status and meet its target
of making the city world class by 2025.
Town Clerk Dr Tendai
Mahachi yesterday said the grace period would allow residents to
come and negotiate with council on the way forward.
“We are
not demolishing the structures tomorrow (today) as some
media reports have said. Rather, within the next weeks leading
into next year residents can come to council to ascertain the way
forward.
“Those who have
built structures in areas that are suitable for such structures,
but without council permission will get an opportunity to regularise
their construction, while those who have put up buildings in inappropriate
places without council permission are being asked to remove them
within the set period,” Dr Mahachi said.
Illegal structures had
begun mushrooming in the city in recent years due to the growing
number of people in informal employment, delays in the allocation
of proper places by council and its failure to enforce city by-laws.
After the two-month period,
Dr Mahachi said, council inspectors would move around the city and
those who would not have complied in removing their illegal structures
would be issued with orders to demolish.
“We will
give them orders telling them to demolish their structures within
a given period,” he said.
Dr Mahachi
expressed hope that when Government finally brings its audit of
housing structures, the city would already have liaised with its
residents.
The reprieve comes as
a relief to residents as many feared for their backyard businesses
since the announcement that council would pull down all illegal
structures.
“The rains are
upon us and it would have meant working in the open had this tuckshop
been demolished and that is not ideal for the perishables we sell.
We are relieved for the time we have been given,” said Mr
Tendai Matikiti from Glen Norah.
Meanwhile, Local Government,
Public Works and National Housing Deputy Minister Cde Biggie Matiza
said the audit report on housing developments in Chitungwiza and
Ruwa would be released in a fortnight following which necessary
steps would be taken.
“There
are no demolitions that are being done by Government at the moment.
There is nothing like that, rather we are waiting for the audit
which is to be released in two weeks time,” he said.
Ruwa Local Board
last week demolished
illegal structures as part of sanitising the environment.
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